Curtis Martin - Early Years

Early Years

Curtis Jr. was born to Rochella Dixon and Curtis Sr. on May 1, 1973. Curtis Sr. left the family in 1978 after turning to drugs and alcohol leaving Curtis' mother to support the family by working two jobs. During his youth, Curtis often moved around the various neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and was consistently surrounded by violence. His grandmother, Eleanor Johnson, was found murdered with a knife in her chest and Martin at age 15 faced near-death when a loaded gun pointed at his head was pulled seven times but never fired.

He and his mother settled in Point Breeze prior to his sophomore year of high school where he began attending Taylor Allderdice High School which was known for its highly regarded academic reputation. He played basketball as a sophomore but did not participate in any sports during his junior year. At the insistence of his mother, who wanted him to participate in an extracurricular activity as a way to keep him away from crime and violence, Curtis began to play football during his senior year despite having never cared much for the sport.

Martin was considered a natural athlete according to former head coach Mark Wittgartner and became an immediate star on the football team as he played at the running back and linebacker positions. He also played on special teams and occasionally at quarterback. He ran for 1,705 yards and scored 20 touchdowns in his lone season of high school football. Martin graduated from Allderdice in 1991 and was inducted into their alumni hall of fame in 2011.

Martin's performance at Allderdice attracted the attention of the University of Pittsburgh's football coach Paul Hackett. Though other offers were available, Martin decided to remain close to home and attend Pittsburgh.